The Girl with Kaleidoscope Eyes
by ToDieYoung
Summary: Harry/Hermione friendship. Just a whole bunch of fluffiness, because there aren't enough 'friends only' stories featuring these two munchkins out there. May turn into a series of oneshots if enough people like it!  Has nothing to do with The Beatles! ;
1. Warm Enough?

**Hidy- Ho ! So I decided that I **_**love **_**Harry and Hermione having a brother-sister type pairing. Think about it: They're both only children that grew up in the muggle world.. It just fits! After I established that, I wondered what happened in the nights following the final battle, like the conversations that took place, or how they would transition back into normal life. I also wondered how Ron would feel about their slightly different friendship/feelings. Mix all that in with a bit (or a lot) of fluff, and this is what I got. Enjoy ! **

Warm Enough?

The stone was cold on her bare feet as she padded down the steps into the common room. Even though the castle was warm –much warmer than what she had been living in for the past year- she had a fleece blanket wrapped around her. She was always cold nowadays. She suspected it to be all of the losses that had taken place here less than two days ago that made the air so chilly.

She expected it to be dark, as it was well past midnight, however there was a fire burning in the fireplace. It illuminated the whole room with a soft, flickering glow. A head of messy hair could also be seen poking out from behind the back of a couch.

She approached Harry slowly, so she wouldn't startle him. He had an open book in his lap, but didn't seem to be reading it. He looked up when he saw her. She froze. They stared at each other for a while, green eyes into brown. She jumped a little when he spoke.

"Cold, 'Mione?" He asked, gesturing to the blanket. She sat down beside him.

"A bit." She shrugged. It was no big deal, after what they had just gone through.

Harry placed the book carelessly on the floor, stood up and unzipped his hoodie. When Hermione realized what he was doing, she started to protest, but he just smiled and forced her arms through the sleeves, zipping it up. He sat back down and threw the blanket over both of them. Hermione snuggled closer.

"Better?"

"Hmm.." She responded. It was much warmer. The sweater was warm from him wearing it, the fire was giving off heat, and her best friend was warm as he hugged her close. She found herself a little sleepy.

Harry pulled her arm out from under the blanket. You couldn't see fingers poking out from the black material. He pinched up a good six inches until he felt her hand. "Remember" he started " When you used to be bigger than I was, like in first year?" He had a huge smile on his face. Hermione giggled.

"Girls usually start their growth spurts first, I guess that's just the universe letting them have their glory before _this_ happens" She said, waving her arm, letting the fabric that wasn't being supported flap around.

"Well, it won't be this bad for long, once you start eating properly again you'll be a bit bigger." He said, indicating how frail and skinny his friend had gotten due to the lack of food.

She gave him a small smile before putting her head on his shoulder, giving a little sigh. She had been trying to eat more, she really had, but it was a gradual process. She couldn't eat too much or she would start to feel sick. She ate a bit more each day, but it was a difficult thing to do. Harry knew this, and must have been thinking the same thing, because he started again.

"I'm so, so sorry Hermione.. What I put you through, it was just terrible… I-"

She interrupted before he could say another word. She pulled away from him, hard, and stood up.

"Harry James Potter! For the millionth time, _you _did not put me through anything. _I _chose to help you defeat Voldemort. _I_ chose to starve myself. _I _chose to stay with you when Ron left. _I _put myself through this. Stop blaming yourself for _everything! _None of it was your fault!" Tears were coming to her eyes now, she finished in a quieter, smaller voice "I hate that you actually take blame for it all."

He got up and pulled her so they were on the couch again, letting her tears fall on his shoulder, rubbing her back. He didn't know this upset her so much. Even though he still blamed himself a little, he decided that she was right -_as usual-_ so he started again.

"Thank you." He said quietly. "Thank you for helping me defeat Voldemort. Thank you for starving yourself. Thank you for staying with me when Ron left. Thank you for putting yourself through everything you did, just so the wizarding world could be peaceful."

She had calmed down quite a bit, and realized that he was being honest with her, so she had to be honest with him. "Thank you too, Harry. You're the one that killed Voldemort. Thank you for saving us"

He gave her a little squeeze and said, "I couldn't have done it without all of you. Without any of the ones who helped, living or…" He couldn't finish, but continued "_Especially_ you, because you never left. You were the only one that stayed with me the whole time. You saved my life more times than I can count. Thank you _so_ much, Hermione" He kissed the top of her head, and she moved closer to him, wrapping the blanket tighter around them both. They sat in silence for a while, just staring at the fire, enjoying each other's company. Hermione felt her eyelids start to get heavy, and yawned.

"We should get to bed…" Harry started, but Hermione just shook her head. Harry smiled. "If you're too tired, I'll carry you.." He offered, moving to pick her up, but she shook her head again.

Harry relaxed again and hugged her closer and tighter, feeling a pang of guilt for how small she felt in his arms. "You _sure _you're warm enough?" he asked.

She pulled her brother's sweater tighter around her, and replied "Hmm.." before falling asleep, Harry shortly after her.

When Hermione's boyfriend came downstairs to find her asleep and cuddled up with their best friend, he had a mind to punch Harry in the mouth. After looking at them again though, he remembered what Harry had said to him not so long ago.

"_She's like my sister. I love her like a sister and I reckon she feels the same way about me. It's always been like that"_

Ron didn't fully understand Harry and Hermione's friendship. He doubted he ever would, but he knew it was something like what he felt for Ginny, only completely different. Then he realized how stupid it would seem if it was the other way around; Harry thinking Ron was trying to steal Ginny… _ew! _

He made his way over and looked at his sleeping friends. He patted Harry on the shoulder, kissed Hermione on the cheek, and made his way down to breakfast.

**Well, there you go! Tell me whatcha think (That means **_**review) **_**Oh, and don't scream at me if you're an HHr shipper.. Different people have different opinions, I just like them better as friends. I don't know if I should just leave this, or make it into a series of oneshots based on this lubberly friendship, so if you liked it and think I should keep going, please tell me! Thanks for reading **


	2. Wouldn't Change a Thing

**Wassup homies ? So I've noticed this trend that each chappie I put up gets less reviews… which doesn't really mean anything since I only have two chapters before this.. anyways, let's try to change that **** So, on to the story.. I had the idea for the plot of this chapter and I'm all: 'OHMIGOD YES !', but then I typed it.. and I'm not sure I like it that much anymore. In other words, 'It sounded better in my head' I wanna see what people think though, so I'm putting it up anyways! **

**And a quick note regarding the last chapter, to the reviewer **_**gryffindorgirl**_**:**

**After I read your review, I went right to the story you mentioned, and I have to admit they are quite similar. I didn't mean to plagiarize in any way, and I honestly don't think I did. I did not steal any ideas, or sentence combinations. Yes, both chapters mention Hermione having difficulty walking, but that's not even the main concept of the story. Mine is about how Hermione feels after the torture, the other is about Harry/Hermione friendship vs. Ron/Hermione relationship. And yes, both are set at Shell Cottage, but a lot of other fics are.. that setting was created by J.K. Rolling, not the author of the other story. I'm sorry if you thought I copied ideas, or thought my chapter was unoriginal. I promise all of my plots come from my own noggin' ;) Anyways, thanks for reviewing and I hope you like this chapter better ! **

_Wouldn't Change a Thing_

To anyone else, they would have looked like a couple. The two walked hand in hand down the street of a muggle suburb. This seemed unusually hard for the girl, as the boy kept squeezing her hand and whispering what seemed to be encouraging words in her ear.

The girl turned sharply into a driveway, pulling the boy along with her.

Hermione fought off tears as she walked up the pathway to her front door. She hadn't been here for a little over a year. She had almost forgotten this part of her life; it felt like it was a dream that she had long ago…

She had brought Harry along because she had visited his home with him. Not the one he had grown up in, but his home _before _all of this had happened. _Before _his parents had died. _Before_ his life had changed forever. She wanted him to now see the place she called home before _her _life had changed, 11 years after his had.

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small, aluminum key. She didn't want to use magic in this place; she only had once, and she never wanted to again. Sticking the key in the lock, she turned it. It clicked, and she took a deep breath as she opened the door.

She felt Harry apply a gentle pressure to her hand as they stepped inside. She wasn't prepared for what she saw.

Death Eaters had defiantly been here. The house was destroyed. Everything seemed to be broken, or out of place. Glass was shattered all around the floor, and the walls had blood smeared on them. Books lay open with pages ripped out, and the sofa had been torn open. The whole place was a disaster.

Tears ran down Hermione's face as she stared at the mess. This was only the front room, she didn't know if she could bear to see the rest of the house. She dropped down into a corner and curled up, putting her face to her knees.

She heard Harry mutter something, then leave the room. It seemed unlike him to leave her alone, but she was glad he did. He'd seen her break down too many times in the past year and he shouldn't have to comfort her every time. She -like everyone else- knew she asked too much of him.

Harry walked down the hall, waving his wand and cleaning up everything he could. He fixed every broken glass, and stacked every book. He walked into the living room and noticed a few pictures on the mantle.

One had a large group of girls –all around age five- dressed in tutu's, doing a graceful ballet pose. He found it easy to pick out his friend from the group, simply because she was the one doing the pose wrong. He chuckled at Hermione's lack of athleticism.

In a cabinet beside the television, there were dozens of home movies. After stacking them neatly with his wand, he noticed one of them was entitled _Hermione's Spelling Bee_. He smiled and rolled his eyes.

One by one, he tidied each room. It took about fifteen minutes until he got to the last one.

He opened the door to a room that unmistakably belonged to Hermione. The walls were purple, and the bedding was pink with a little flower pattern. Harry, of course knew her parents had probably picked this out. The one noticeable abnormality –besides the huge mess- would be the photographs moving in their broken frames. Pictures of Hermione, Ron, and himself littered the floor. He smiled down at one of the three of them in their first year, arms around each other, grinning broadly in front of the house cup.

He waved his wand one last time and everything in the room rearranged itself. He watched as the head of a stuffed bear sewed itself back onto the body, then plopped casually down onto the freshly made bed.

Hermione had stopped sobbing. The first thing she heard was a clattering noise coming from upstairs. She looked up, bracing herself for the shock of seeing her destroyed home, but instead an even bigger one came.

She looked up to see everything was neat and back in place, just the way she had remembered it being when she had left one year ago. She quickly jumped to her feet and ran upstairs, knowing exactly what the clattering sound she heard had been.

She saw each room had been cleaned. Everything was in place, and everything in perfect condition. She was glad she didn't have to see any more, glad that her memories in this house wouldn't be ruined. She was glad she wouldn't have to see the effects of dark magic being used in her home.

The door was open in her bedroom, and she saw him standing over her desk. She walked quietly over to him. He was staring at a picture of the three of them, taken back in their very first year at Hogwarts.

"If you told me then" he said quietly, not looking at her "that at seventeen I would search for pieces of The Dark Lord's soul, be betrayed by my best friend, let my other best friend be tortured, die, come back to life, then kill Voldemort… I would have gone mad."

"Harry, you've gone through so much –it worries me that you never let anything out. I've just realized… I've never seen you cry. I know if I were you I would _never _have been able to keep it together as long as you have… I just want to know Harry, are you okay?"

They looked at each other, and he nodded his head.

"Don't worry about it, Hermione. It's all over. To tell you the truth, yes. I'd been holding it in. I felt like I had to be the strong one, 'cause the whole world was literally on my shoulders. I guess I'm just better at it than you" he winked at her, and she rolled her eyes "But don't worry about it now. It's all over, and I just don't want to waste any more of my life being anything but happy, and neither should you. It kills me when you break down; I want you to be happy. It just reminds me that maybe your life would have been better if we weren't best friends. That's why I went ahead and fixed everything. It was because of me the Death Eaters came here –don't argue- they were looking for me. Either that, or to torture you for information about me. I hate it when you cry, and it's even worse when it's because of me… I just had to fix it. "

She didn't necessarily agree with his accusations, but she didn't feel like arguing, so she just nodded, looking up she whispered "Thank you, Harry" She got on her tiptoes and gave him an innocent peck on the cheek.

He smiled, and wrapped an arm around her, holding her close. They stared back down at their eleven year-old selves, who were happily cheering with pride at their accomplishment. Hermione listened to her friend's heart beating, shivering slightly when she remembered a time when she was convinced it had stopped. She thought about what he had just said, and a question came to her mind.

"Harry, have you ever wished we weren't friends… or as close as we are?" She asked quietly.

Harry hesitated a little before answering.

"Yeah, but you know it was only because I cared too much. Now, looking back I don't see a way I could have done it without you… or Ron" he added

She nodded her head against him, though she felt like she had already known the answer.

"Have _you_ ever wished we weren't friends? You know, just wondered why you kept going along with me after all the danger I put you through?"

"Harry," She started firmly "You gave me so many chances to back out. If I _ever _felt like it wasn't worth it, don't you think I would have left? I cared too much to think of doing otherwise, no matter how many times you tried to protect me from all of this. I just knew that this was bigger than me… bigger than us."

He rubbed his hand up and down her arm. He whispered "Thank you Hermione" before leaning down and placing a small kiss on top of her head.

To anyone else, they would have looked like a couple. Those people, however, didn't know their story. To themselves, they looked like two people who had gone through so much together; so much at such a young age. To themselves, they were two people ironically bonded closer by evil.

And if you asked them, they wouldn't change a thing.


	3. Older Brother

**Since when did obesity get such good music? I got this song –**_**yes, this one's a songfic-**_** from a McDonnalds commecial. I don't care what anyone says, TV **_**is**_** inspirational. I really liked the music when I saw the commercial, so I downloaded the song (Older Brother by Pepper Rabbit) and upon listening to the lyrics, a story about Harry and Hermione popped into my head! The words reminded me so much of them, so I wrote this. I recommend listening to the song and pausing it in the breaks.. it's a really good song **

**NOTE: I do noot want reviews telling me about this. I know I changed the word 'your' to 'my' in the fourth **_**stanza**_**..? I think that's the right word XP **

**Changing that one word just made the song fit so much more . Sorry if you're an uber fan and it offended you ! **

_**We both sat on our beds in my room**_

_**And we talked about what was coming soon**_

_**All the pink powder won't cover up what we did**_

_**Doing wrong when we were just kids**_

Everyone was tired… more like exhausted. War was not something that was just fought and won, and then everyone just instantly snaps back into their normal lives. No.. There were so many mixed emotions and readjustments to go along with it. Lives were lost in the battle, yes, but you had to look at the big picture: No more would be. Ever.

Harry had just showered for the first time in months. He felt so incredibly clean, comfortable, and warm. Fresh pajamas had been laid on his bed in Gryffindor tower when he had returned, and he was looking forward to climbing into his bed and sleeping dreamlessly for the first time in years. He was just starting to pull back the covers when he heard a tapping on the door. He hoped to Merlin it wasn't someone else wanting his autograph.

"Come in!" He called.

He didn't recognize her at first, mostly because she was properly groomed. Her hair was tamed and slightly damp, and all of the dirt was gone from her face. She was –like him- already in clean nightclothes.

"Can I stay here tonight? Everyone's gone home, and I don't really want to be by myself.." she asked, unsure if she was being an annoyance.

He nodded his head and gave a half smile. "Sure" he said, gesturing to Ron's empty bed beside his.

The Weasleys had invited them to stay, but they had decided to wait a few days. They had agreed together that they should have time to grieve over Fred as a family first. Besides, there were open beds at Hogwarts, and McGonagall had told them they could stay for as long as they needed.

Hermione sat down on her bed, and Harry on his. They stared at each other for a moment, then Hermione spoke.

"What do you suppose happens now? There are still Death Eaters out there, you don't think they'll try to finish what Voldemort started do you?"

Harry thought about this for a minute, then answered her. "Well, we'll need to capture them and throw them in Azkaban, won't we? I don't think they'll try to start anything up again, I mean, most were just on Voldemort's side because he threatened to kill their families if they weren't."

She nodded. "Are you going to take Kingsley's offer? About the job as an Auror, I mean?"

He nodded his head "Might as well finish the rest of them off, besides, you know I've always wanted that job. What about you?"

"I don't think so. Eight years of trying to catch dark wizards is enough for me I think. I'd rather try to work on building the back Ministry up."

Harry smiled, remembering a time when Hermione would never have worked for the ministry. Now, it seemed to be the perfect job for her.

_**And I think that you're the older brother**_

_**That I never had**_

_**I wish I could reach out and touch you**_

_**Don't worry, I'm not sad**_

Hermione was thinking. It wasn't unusual, but it was happening, yet again. She stared at Harry, realizing how much of a sibling he was to her. She thought about how much they cared about each other, and how protective they were of the other.

Neither of them had ever had a sibling. The other member of their trio had eight. They had a bond that was different, unique, _special_.

She remembered earlier that night, when she thought he had gone for good. Seeing his body was the most terrible thing she had ever seen. Tears started to come to her eyes, and she suddenly wanted to hold him. She wanted to make sure he was okay, that he wasn't going to leave again. She wanted to know that her brother would be safe from now on.

Harry noticed the tears, and walked over to her bed, wrapping an arm around her. He knew what was wrong. He knew the image of his dead body was making her upset, and he didn't blame her. If he had seen her dead, he would go ballistic.

He carefully took her hand and put it against his chest. "See, 'Mione? I'm fine, I'm okay."

She felt the gentle thumping under her hand and sniffed. She nodded, then slowly pulled away from him, a small smile on her face.

".. Are _you_ okay Hermione?" he asked, looking her in the eyes.

"Yeah, don't worry. I was just so worried you were …" she cut herself off, not being able to finish. "Don't you ever do that again."

"Promise." He said, smirking.

_**I know you're just where you want to be**_

_**And everyone's a hundred grand**_

_**Save some space for me**_

_**And say 'hello' to your dad**_

She stared at him again, this time with a smile on her face. He was where he wanted to be his whole life; happy and with nothing to worry about. He smiled back at her, and they stared at each other for a while, not thinking, just basking in the happy energy they were giving off.

"You know" he broke the silence "Everyone seems so much more important to me now. Like, I know how fast they can be taken away.. I guess I'm saying I don't take anyone for granted anymore."

She nodded, knowing exactly what he meant. All of the people in her life meant the world to her, and she knew how devastated she would be if any of them passed, simply because it had been such a possibility these past few months.

"You know your parents would be so proud of you, Harry." She said, squeezing his hand "_I'm _proud of you."

He smiled, looking up to the ceiling. "I hope they are, Hermione." He seemed to be lost in thought for a minute, then added "And I'm so proud of you too."

He kissed her cheek before getting up and climbing into his bed. She stared at him, and made her eyes really big. He sighed and moved over, pulling the blankets so she could get in. He covered her once she lay down.

_**I will look after my sister, I swear**_

_**I'll write her when she's lonely, and send it off in the air**_

_**I will keep her safe until I'm dead**_

_**She'll always have a place to rest her head**_

She snuggled up close beside him. She seemed so small, as if she had just surrendered –as if she had just become defenseless- and in a way, she had. She yawned, and Harry realized how tired he was… how tired she should be.

"Harry, you know I need to go to Australia, right? I need to get my parents back." He tried to ask her when they were going, but she cut him off "-No Harry, I'm going by myself. I need to do this. I need to have my family time.. You understand, don't you?" She didn't want to offend him.

He wrapped his arms somewhat protectively around her, and squeezed. "Of course I do.. Don't worry about it. But while you're there, if you need me I'm just an owl away."

She chuckled, and promised him she'd write while away.

"Good" He said, and pulled her closer. "So.. you and Ron, eh?"

She lifted her head from its place on his shoulder to give him a look.

"Oh, shut up." She said when she saw he was chuckling. When he didn't stop, she whacked him playfully on the arm.

"Fine." He said, slowing his laughter, and she put her head back down. "But if he hurts you, best friend or not, he's a dead man."

She slapped him again.

_**You don't have to worry about it now**_

_**You don't have to live with that frown**_

_**I will hold your memory close to my chest, **_

_**Though I wish you hadn't said it was best.**_

"What? You know it's gonna happen. You two bicker like an old married couple!" he added quickly "I'm not saying you won't get back together again, I mean, you always do… Just if you need me to punch him in the face for you, I'm right here… Though, I think if you just use those birds from sixth year again, you should be alright."

"Thanks, offer noted" she smiled, then yawned again.

"You should get some sleep, 'Mione. I know it's hard, but just think; nobody's trying to hurt you anymore. You aren't on the run, and you don't have to worry about freezing to death. And if you have a nightmare, well, I won't be now, so I'm right here, 'kay?"

"Mhhm.. I love you Harry. Goodnight."

"I love you too, sis. Sweet dreams." He pulled her closer and in a few seconds he heard her deep, slow breathing.

_**Could you have stayed just one more night,**_

_**For all of us to say goodbye?**_

_**But all of your troubles are now gone,**_

_**And you still feel so damn warm**_

Harry looked down at his dreaming friend. He knew she missed Ron, and he missed Ginny too. They had had barely any time together after the war, and it was unfair that they couldn't officially get together immediately following. Happiness would come though; it had to. Everything was over. This war that they had been fighting for eight years was finally done. Right now, the siblings of sorts could sleep innocently beside each other. They could surrender, become defenseless, because for the first time in eight years, they didn't need to be afraid.

He moved closer to his sister. She was clean, happy, safe, and warm wrapped in his arms, and that was a brother's job, right? He closed his eyes and for the first time he could remember, he fell asleep happily -looking forward to pleasant dreams this time around.

**Internet cookies if you review ! OMNOMNOMNOMMM ! 3 **


	4. And Then He Understood

**Authors Note: Okay, so you may have noticed that I deleted chapter two. The reason being that I was getting a lot of reviews saying that another author had a similar chapter. I had not intended to steal any ideas, and I had not read that chapter before writing mine. After thinking long and hard, I thought taking down the chapter would be the best thing to do, just to avoid confusion and explaining myself to a bunch of reviewers over and over. Kind of disappointing, I really liked that chapter.. but oh well, what can you do? :P **

**So anyways, waking up to a bunch of people telling me "I don't use my own ideas" made today a perfect day to put up a chapter that actually **_**isn't **_**my idea. I got a request/suggestion from ****XoxMountainGirlxoX ****to do this chapter, and I was happy to write it! So here you are, hope you enjoy! (Oh, and I tried to respond to your message, but it said you had private messages disabled.. sorry!) **

**So, here it is:**

And Then He Understood

Harry was used to the sound of screaming in his dreams. He had heard the sound of his mother being murdered more times than he could count. He was not immune to the sound, but more used to it. It hurt, but it did not surprise him when he woke up with the sound playing over in his head. This time was different though. The screams were not from his mother, but rather his best friend. The sound of her being tortured, of being put through unbearable pain was what haunted him tonight.

He was back in the cellar at Malfoy Manor. He could hear the horrible, drawn out screams above him. He could feel Ron tugging at his side, trying to break free of the ropes that bound them together. He knew he had to keep his head. Tugging at the ropes and screaming for Hermione wouldn't help them, and right now they could not waste any time… Bellatrix could decide to murder Hermione herself, or she could just simply give up and die from the pain…

Harry snapped when he heard another bone chilling scream. He needed to save her, he needed to take her somewhere safe, he needed to make sure she would be all right… _he needed to kill Bellatrix Lestrange. _

Then he saw her body, unmoving and lifeless, thrown on the ground like a piece of trash…

"Harry! Harry, wake up!" he felt a hand on his shoulder, shaking him roughly out of the dream. His eyes snapped open, somebody handed him his glasses.

Ron was standing over him, his hand still on his shoulder. Hermione was perched on the edge of his bed. Both pairs of eyes were full of concern.

"Er.. we heard you screaming out for Hermione" Ron said awkwardly "I'm guessing it was a nightmare about-"

"Yeah, don't worry about it guys -I'll be fine- just go back to sleep.."

"Harry, you're shaking" Hermione whispered, she sounded anxious.

"Hermione, I'm oka-" she had grabbed his hand. Harry saw Ron flinch a bit.

"Harry. What's wrong?" She asked him firmly, but gently. She was staring right into his eyes, hoping to help him let all the monsters out.

Harry broke the eye contact, and looked down. He sighed, and started.

"When she was torturing you –hearing your screams- I felt so guilty. I said the name, Hermione.. _me. _It was my fault that you were brought there. It was my fault that she was hurting you.

"Oh, Harry!" She exclaimed, throwing herself into his arms. "It wasn't your fault, I don't blame you at all.." She had her face buried in the crook of his neck. He glanced up at Ron, who looked about ready to throttle him. He gently pushed Hermione away.

"Hermione, you should go back to bed. You still aren't 100 percent well again, you need your sleep. Besides, I need to talk to Ron for a bit." He told her with a small smile.

She opened her mouth as if to argue, but turned around and headed for the bed right next to his.

Harry stood up, and grabbed Ron's arm. He led him downstairs into the small sitting room.

"What is your deal?" Harry asked "Is she not allowed to hug me anymore now that you fancy her?"

Ron stared at him for a moment, and then answered. "It just seems like you two have something that's… I dunno, more than friendship. And you know how I feel about her, I just wish you would tone it down a little."

Harry sighed, knowing where Ron was coming from. He and Hermione had a special bond, but it wasn't one of those 'more than friendship, less than romance' relationships, because he cared about Hermione just as much as he cared about Ginny, if not more. He loved them both equally, just in totally different ways. Ginny knew this, and she seemed to understand, why couldn't Ron?

"Look." He started "I don't love her… at least in that way. I love her like she's my sister, and I love her like she's my best friend. I care about her so much; I can't bear it if anything hurts her. And you're right, we have a bond that you will never have with her; that I will never have with Ginny. Think of it this way: we are both only children, both raised in the muggle world. You and Ginny… you always had siblings. You always had someone to take care of you, always had someone to take care of. And then when you left.. she didn't."

Ron nodded, but had a confused look on his face. He still didn't understand.

"I saw my parent's grave for the first time with her" he continued "I saw the place where I beat Voldemort with her. I connected with her in a way that I never will with anybody else. I want you to know that though I will never love her in a romantic way, I will always love her more than a friend, because she's not my friend anymore… she's my sister."

Ron looked dumbfounded. Harry guessed that he had never really thought about it in that sense before; that he'd only really thought about competing with Harry for Hermione. He'd never thought of a possibility of such a strong platonic relationship.

"And I know she feels the same way about me, I've told you before -she cried for weeks when you were gone." Harry added

Ron nodded, not needing to reply. He extended his hand to Harry.

Harry shook Ron's hand, and pulled him into a hug, which Ron returned. Ron clapped Harry on the back, and they broke apart.

They headed back upstairs to the bedroom that the three of them had been sharing. When they opened the door, they heard Hermione's voice call to them.

"Can one of you stay with me tonight? I just had another nightmare about.." she trailed off.

Harry and Ron looked at each other, and nodded in silent agreement. Harry picked up his wand from his bedside table and pointed it at Hermione's bed.

"_Engorgio" _He muttered, and the bed grew so that it could hold the three of them.

Ron climbed in one side, and Harry in the other. They both wrapped an arm around their damaged friend, moving close together. Almost instantly, they all felt an overwhelming sense of exhaustion.

Harry, with his last bit of energy said quietly "It's okay Hermione, we're here now, you're safe."

He felt Ron's hand move to his and squeeze. Harry knew Ron finally understood. He hugged Hermione tighter, hoping Ron would be everything she wanted.

**So, what did you think? I'm looking forward to some **_**positive**_** reviews this time. **


	5. What Happiness Is

**AN: Hidey-Ho ! So this one's a bit different than normal. Usually when I write a chapter, the idea for the plot comes to me a week or more before I start putting it on paper. This time, however, I was having no ideas. I woke up one morning and I was like "Hey! I'm gonna write today!" I had no idea what about, but I just kind of started and went on from there.. kind of like a FF improv! Hope you enjoy, this one has more of a happy vibe compared to my other ones. **

What Happiness Is

Hermione sat, curled up on the couch at The Burrow. A fleece blanket was wrapped around her, and she was clutching a mug of hot chocolate. The room –which was usually bright, sunny, and cheerful- was void of all natural light because of the rainy conditions outside.

She was zoned out, barely conscious of where she was; daydreaming about nothing in particular. She didn't even notice Harry walk into the room until he pulled the cinnamon stick out of her mug.

She looked up at him. She wasn't startled; she didn't jump. He was sitting on the couch beside her, nibbling on the cinnamon stick. She gave him a weak smile when they made eye contact.

He didn't return the smile, but nodded. Even though it had been months since the final battle, nothing felt happy. The Burrow almost felt like it had dementors circling overhead. The once loud and bustling home was now quiet and mourning; a deafening silence that loomed over everyone in the house. Hermione took a sip of her hot chocolate, but it was cold; she wondered how long she had been sitting there.

"Let's go." Harry said abruptly.

"What? Where?" Hermione was confused.

"Anywhere" said Harry, "anywhere but here, it's too depressing." He thought for a moment, and then it came to him, "Hermione, have you ever been on a rollercoaster?"

"Actually, no.. I was always too afraid to go on one when my parents would take me to amusement parks- but Harry, look at it out! It's so dark and damp.. it's going to start pouring any moment."

"That's a good thing, we won't have to wait in any line-ups: barely anyone will be there! Come on Hermione, I know you want to get out of here as much as I do." Harry pleaded.

Hermione thought about it. The fresh air would be nice, and she wouldn't have to think about darkness or evil; besides, she was hardly- if ever- spontaneous, and it might be fun to try something new.

"Let's do it." She smiled.

"Yes!" Harry said loudly, doing a fist pump "Come on!"

They pulled on their coats and shoes, then he took her hand and they turned on the spot.

They landed on a cobblestone entrance to an amusement park. They both grinned; it was going to help them get rid of their depression, at least for one day. Harry offered Hermione his arm –which she took- and the two best friends walked toward the front gate.

A teenage boy was standing in a box with a computer and a machine that printed off tickets. Hermione felt a pang, because _this_ was what she should have been doing last summer. She brushed it off though, and paid for her and Harry's tickets. The boy handed them each a ticket, and stamped both of their hands.

The pair walked into the park. Harry had been right; hardly anyone was here. Hermione pointed to the very first rollercoaster she saw. It wasn't too big or scary looking, but it wasn't too little either.

Harry smiled and nodded.

"Onwards, m'lady." he said in the most formal voice he could. Hermione giggled and they set off.

They got to the entrance of the ride. It was an old, wooden rollercoaster with a few steep hills. There were a few people on the ride already, and no line. Hermione pulled Harry to the very front car.

"Is this your first rollercoaster too, Harry?" she asked him once they were seated.

"Yeah.. the Dursleys always left me with Mrs. Figg whenever they went anywhere fun." He told her.

"What a pair, eh?" Hermione laughed "Two eighteen-year-olds who have never been on a ride."

Harry laughed too, and just then the safety bars came down. Hermione felt the adrenaline start pumping as a voice came on an intercom, informing them about the safety precautions.

"Scared?" Harry smiled at her "Come on, Hermione.. you've faced so many dangerous things in your life, and you're afraid of a ride that makes muggle children scream with joy? Worst-case scenario is that the car derails and we apparate out of here, the muggles can't even do that and they still ride."

Hermione had a flashback of jumping out of a second storey window, her hand in Harry's, twisting in mid-air as they fell, missing Voldemort by seconds. She shook the memory, and sighed as the car began to move.

A chain pulled them slowly up the first hill. Hermione's heart started pounding, and she grabbed Harry's hand, squeezing tight. When they got to the top of the hill, the car stopped for a second, and then dropped.

Hemione screamed loudly, and Harry pulled their joined hands up in the air. Hermione felt a bit nauseous, but enjoyed the ride. She laughed and yelled along with Harry. If this wasn't happiness, she didn't know what was.

The car went around the track twice, and then slowed down as it got to the platform. The voice over the intercom thanked them for riding, told them where to exit, and finished with 'have a nice day'.

Harry and Hermione rode rollercoasters all day; each one bigger and scarier than the last. It didn't start to rain until around 6:00, so they joined hands and apparated to a little café in the city.

They got a table and ordered drinks first: Hermione had water, and Harry got a hot chocolate. They ate sandwiches and split a slice of chocolate cake. When they were finished eating, Harry took the cinnamon stick from his hot chocolate and offered it to her.

"Go on, I owe you." He winked.

After they finished eating, Harry took her hand again, but she pulled away. He looked at her with a puzzled expression.

"Let's take the bus.. I haven't been for a drive in so long, I know it sounds a bit strange, but I kind of miss it."

Harry agreed, and offered his arm again. Hermione slid hers through it, and they headed off to find the nearest bus stop.

By now, it had stopped raining, and they walked for five or ten minutes. When they found a bus stop, they sat on the bench. Harry looked at his battered old watch: ten minutes more until 8:00.

Hermione turned to him. "Thank you Harry, I really had fun today. You were right, it was good to get out of the house, to be normal for once."

Harry nodded, agreeing "We should do it more often. Just leave the wizarding world behind for a while, you know?"

Hermione smiled, a little sadly "We'll get back the teenage years we were deprived of."

By now, more people had gathered at the bus stop. They were talking on cell phones, or reading books.. not paying attention to the two young wizards.

The bus arrived not long after. They climbed aboard and Harry let Hermione have the window seat. She sighed and watched the scenery go by, each passing streetlight illuminating the bus.

She turned to Harry. "Do you even know where The Burrow is, exactly? Because I doubt this bus stops anywhere near it."

Harry leaned down, so his mouth was just above her ear. "We can get off when we feel like it Hermione.." he whispered "You know The Burrow is seconds away, no matter where we are." He smiled at his friends' foolishness.

"Oh.. yeah." Hermione said slowly.

They looked at each other for a second, almost immediately bursting into a fit of uncontrollable laughter. They laughed until their stomachs hurt, laughing for no apparent reason. It felt good though, like they were neutralizing their depressed state with laughter.

It slowly died down, and Hermione leaned on Harry. They both had smiles on their faces, and for the first time in a long while, Hermione felt genuinely happy. Nothing was on her mind but her best friend and the day they had just shared. Moving closer to him, she rested her head on his chest, but turned it so she could stare out the window, eventually closing her eyes…

"Kids! Wake up, last stop!" a voice was calling. Hermione felt groggy, but suddenly remembered where she was.

"Sorry, sir, just dozed off.." she heard Harry explain, realizing he must have fallen asleep too. She didn't bother opening her eyes, but reached out for Harry. He helped her up, and wrapped an arm around her waist to support her.

"Walk, Hermione. I'm not carrying you." His voice was cracking with sleep.

She leaned on him and started to move her feet. Harry sighed and they walked for a few minutes until they were out of sight, at which point she felt Harry turn on the spot. After the usual suffocating darkness subsided, she felt her feet being submerged into the familiar squishy mud that surrounded The Burrow.

She let Harry walk her to the house, but once inside, she broke from him. She pulled off her high-tops and her coat –Harry doing the same- and they trudged upstairs to the bedroom they shared with Ron.

When Hermione heard the snoring, she gasped.

"We forgot to bring Ron! Oh, if he finds out-"

"It'll be our secret then.. Hermione, you know if we had brought him he would be asking us every five minutes 'what the bloody hell' everything was." When she didn't look convinced, he added "We'll bring him next time, 'kay."

She rolled her eyes and gave a half smile. Grabbing her pajamas and toothbrush, she headed to the bathroom. When she came back, Harry was already in bed, you could hear his slow, deep breathing mixed with Ron's snores. She chuckled and walked with exhaustion to her own bed.

On her pillow was a note.

'_Mione,_

_Thanks for coming with me.. I know you had fun, I did too. Forgive me, I was too tired to wait for you to come back, I don't know why girls have to take so long in the bloody bathroom. Anyways, g'night and see you in the morning .. Remember, it's our little secret!_

_Love,_

_Harry_

Hermione smiled at the letter, and then tucked it away in a book on her bedside table. She climbed into her bed, and snuggled down into the blankets, closing her eyes. She listened to the heavy breathing and snoring coming from her two best friends; from her boys. And for the first time in years, Hermione Granger fell asleep with a smile on her face.

Because if this wasn't happiness, she had no idea what was.

**AN: Okay, so I can imagine Ron finding that note from Harry and being very confused. If you didn't know what he was writing about, you might get the wrong idea.. Review guys ! 3 **


	6. Salty Droplets

**A/N: Hi guys ! Sorry I've been missing for a while, I've actually had so much to do this week.. for those of you who care, I shall tell you, for those who don't, skip this note ;) ! Okay, so I had spring break two weeks ago, and the weather was uber nice so I wasn't writing too much.. except for a rough draft of this chapter. Then last week was crazy. School Monday and Tuesday, I went to the Tim Burton exhibit in Toronto with my Visual Arts class on Wednesday, and on Thursday I had the OSSLT (Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test). . . For those of you in Ontario, you know this test is super easy for us writers, but it's so much writing that you get tired of writing for a while. Anyways, my parents had been in Cuba for the past week and I went to stay at my cousins' house from Friday-Sunday. So, long story short it's been a crazy week! And I stayed up extra late writing this for ****YOU ! ****So feel special 3 . **

Salty Droplets

All he could think of was Sirius.

The only thing he had that was even close to family was gone. Dead. He was stupid, so stupid… It was a trap, all a lie. Hermione had been right. She was always right.

And now she was in the hospital wing, injured from the battle that had just taken place. He landed her there. He landed Ron there. Stupid. Stupid. _Stupid! _He had hurt his best friends, he had gotten them into this. The people he loved most in the whole world were suffering right now, and it was all his fault.

And suddenly, he felt the urge to see them; to make sure they were alright, to find the comfort that only they could bring him. He couldn't sleep anyway, and he didn't care too much about getting caught- Dumbledore would understand. Slipping the invisibility cloak over himself, he headed to the infirmary, the need for his two best friends pushing him forward.

He opened the door quietly, just wide enough so he could slip inside. Ron's snoring could be heard as soon as he entered the room. Pulling the cloak off, he walked to the end of the row of beds, knowing the people he needed most would be resting there. He knew by the snoring that Ron was asleep, but maybe Hermione would be awake. If not, he would wait. Madam Pomfrey had informed him she was having trouble sleeping- she would wake up eventually.

He spotter Ron first. His arm was sticking out of the blanket, and the marks where the tentacles had grabbed him were still scarlet on his pale skin. Harry ran his fingers over them, silently apologizing. Ron did not stir, as he was a heavy sleeper, but mumbled something and turned over.

Harry turned to his left, finding that Hermione was asleep too. He was not surprised; she would have spoken to him if she were awake. Seeing her unconscious again made Harry flinch. She could have died, and he thanked Merlin that Dolohov had not been able to speak the incantation aloud.

She was wincing in her sleep, obviously a reaction to the curse. He stroked her cheek very lightly with his thumb, trying to soothe her. He sat at the edge of her bed and watched as she turned over multiple times.

"_I'm so sorry, Hermione." _He whispered.

Then in an instant, she sat bolt upright, breathing heavily. She had her eyes closed tightly and was wincing- almost crying.

Harry jumped. She had shocked him, but he remained calm.

"Hermione, it's okay. Where's Madam Pomfrey?" He asked, trying to calm her down, but get the information out of her at the same time. He realized she couldn't speak, however, and she grabbed his hand, squeezing tightly.

He returned the pressure, but with not as much force as she was exerting –he didn't want to hurt her. She let go and Harry wiggled his fingers; she had always had a vice grip. Hermione grabbed a bottle off her nightstand and took a big gulp from it.

Her eyes were still closed, but she seemed to relax a bit. Harry moved closer to her and rubbed her back as she attempted to catch her breath. She collapsed against him, as her breathing returned to normal.

"What are you doing here Harry?" She asked in a small, weak voice

"Couldn't sleep." He answered half- truthfully. He didn't want her to have to worry about him right now; she needed him more.

"Hmm.." she hummed, slowly opening her eyes. She looked up at him, seeming to know the reason why he had come, even without him telling her.

He stroked her hair and told her he was sorry he did this to her. That he was sorry he didn't listen to her. That she had been right. That this was his fault. Of course, she disagreed. She told him that she would have done the same thing, and that it was his heart talking, not his brain. This comforted Harry, but although he still did not take the blame off of himself; he didn't argue. Her voice sounded weak and he didn't want her to have to put up a fight.

He looked down at her. They were both sitting on the bed, and her head had still not moved from its place on his chest. She had closed her eyes again, and was leaning into the hand that moved gently over her hair. Harry hoped it was distracting her from the obvious pain she was in. He was wondering weather she had fallen asleep, but she spoke.

"Harry, can we go for a walk.. please?" Her voice was quiet and small.

"Hermione, I don't think that's the best idea.. I don't think you're well enough, what if you need your potion again? Besides, its really late.. if we get caught…"

"Oh, stop making excuses. We'll be under the cloak of course! And we can bring the potion. Please, Harry?" She bumped his chest lightly with her head.

He sighed and helped her up. She was a little unsteady on her feet, but he supported her and threw the cloak over them both.

"Where do you want to go?" He asked her as they made their way to the exit of the Hospital Wing.

She paused for a moment, thinking. Then it hit her.

"I want to go sit by the lake. The fresh air would be good for me; for us."

He said nothing, but led the way to the water. She was leaning heavily on him, concentrating on taking steps rather than balance. He looked at her and noticed that her eyes were closed yet again, and he wondered if she was too tired to carry on. He knew that she wouldn't want to turn back, however, so he put an arm around her and pulled her closer, taking more of her weight as they slowly made their way across the grounds.

When they finally made it to the shore of the Black Lake, he lowered the both of them slowly to the ground, and pulled the cloak off. She kept her head on his shoulder, and he leaned his head on hers.

And that was when he broke.

He buried his face in her hair and cried, hot tears running down his face. He held her tighter, but not too tight, as not to hurt her. He choked and sobbed as hard as he had ever done in his life; he just let everything out. Sirius, the prophecy, Voldemort … everything that was inside him was now let out in the form of salty droplets that clung to his best friend's hair.

But she said no words, because there was nothing to say. She just let him hold her. She waited patiently for it to be over, for him to cry every fragment of pain that he had bottled up this year out of his body. And as the heavy gasping turned to sobbing, and the sobbing turned to coughing, and the coughing turned to silent tears, she waited; and at last, she felt his head turn on top of hers and his lips press softly on it, silently thanking her.

A cool breeze blew past the pair, and Hermione shivered slightly. Harry wrapped his arms more protectively around her, trying keep her warm. She grabbed his hand absent-mindedly and played with his fingers. Still they said nothing -comfortable in their silence, listening to the rushing waves coming from the lake.

Hermione wondered if this could be considered a romantic embrace. She liked it, but wasn't sure she felt that way about Harry. He was like a brother to her, or a best friend, or somewhere in the middle. But she swept the thought from her mind; these were dark times, and they were alone. She, Ron, and Harry would have to go on by themselves in the end. She had always known that. They were two best friends, holding each other in a time of grief and despair. They were showing the other that they were not _entirely_ alone. They had each other, and they loved each other in a totally and completely platonic way.

It's just how it was, how it always had been.

And when they eventually walked back up to the castle, it was almost sunrise. Harry walked Hermione back to bed, and she fell asleep almost instantly. He too was exhausted, and knew he couldn't make it back to Gryffindor Tower. Sighing, he pulled the blankets back and got in beside his friend, wrapping his arms around her; thankful he had a shoulder to cry on. Even in sleep, she seemed to know he was there, and she snuggled into his embrace. Harry gave a small smile, and fell into a deep –much needed- sleep.

When Albus Dumbledore visited the Hospital Wing early the next morning, he was surprised to find two students in one bed. This, of course, was very much against the rules at Hogwarts, but this seemed different. The children looked so innocent, so vulnerable. They slept peacefully, but seemed as though they would be in very much pain if they were separated.

The old man traced the lightning scar on the boy's forehead. He looked at the girl in his arms, and the snoring boy to his right.

No matter his destiny, the professor knew that 'The Chosen One' was in good hands.

The old man smiled to himself, and as he left the room, a salty droplet made its way into his silvery beard.

**It's not perfect, but there you go! Constructive criticism and complements (of course!) are appreciated! Oh, and if you guys are on Tumblr, follow me for more Harry Potter awesomeness! (.com) And if you aren't on Tumblr, you should be.. it's full of awesome potterheads like ourselves **

**Blah,blah,blah… REVIEW ! 3 **


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